CONCACAF CL Betting Analysis for the 2nd Leg Matches on Thursday

CONCACAF CL Betting Analysis for the 2nd Leg Matches on Thursday

The last two spots in the CONCACAF Champions League are very much up for grabs heading into Thursday. The four teams in action on Thursday played the first leg last week and combined for just one goal. While those matches may have lacked excitement, they set up a compelling second leg in both matchups with everything on the line. Let’s take a closer look at the two Round of 16 second-leg matches on Thursday so you can bet against their CONCACAF Champions League odds.

Round of 16: 2nd Leg Thursday Matches Analysis | Soccer Betting Picks

Cruz Azul vs Forge FC

Cruz Azul is surely one of the clubs that feel like the trophy is theirs for the taking, although the Mexican side hasn’t won CONCACAF Champions League since 2014. That being said, La Máquina was a little underwhelming in the first leg against Force FC. Cruz Azul had 58% of the possession but wasn’t only able to turn that into two shots on goal. Venezuelan international Rómulo Otero was able to put one of those shots in the back of the net to give Azul a 1-0 win. But the performance left something to be desired. On the other hand, a 4-1 win against Toluca over the weekend should have La Máquina feeling better, especially since they’ll be protecting a 1-0 aggregate lead at home in Estadio Azteca.

Meanwhile, Forge FC is still in preseason mode, so they might consider themselves lucky to be only trailing 1-0 on aggregate heading into the second leg. Of course, they needed a better result at home to give them hope heading into an away match in the second leg. While the Hammers are the reigning winners of the Canadian Premier League, there is a clear talent gap between them and a CONCACAF giant like Cruz Azul. The Hamilton-based club will be happy just to get to this stage, although with the aggregate at 1-0, they will feel as if there is hope if they can avoid conceding an early goal.

Seattle Sounders FC vs CD Motagua

Opportunity appears to be knocking for the Sounders, who haven’t made a deep Champions League run in several years. In theory, Seattle has a favorable draw with Motagua, although the Sounders didn’t look particularly sharp in a scoreless draw against the Honduran club last week. Even with regulars like Cristian Roldan, Raul Ruidiaz, and Jordan Morris getting the start, the Sounders only generated one shot on goal. Even for an MLS team that’s still going through its preseason training, it was a disappointing effort for the Sounders, who don’t want to crash out of the competition this early before they can hit their stride.

Of course, Motagua hasn’t exactly hit the ground running in its first six games in the Honduran Primera Division. They have settled for three draws in those six matches, scoring just five goals during that stretch. Talent-wise, they shouldn’t be able to keep pace with Seattle, especially since they have to head to the Pacific Northwest for the second leg. But they looked like the better team for long stretches of the first leg. The longer they can keep the second leg scoreless, the better Motagua’s chances of pulling off the surprise upset over the Sounders.

 
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